Rescue Under the Moon

Ever since returning from Mito Uzumaki's residence that day, Uchiha Ling's life had seemed not to change in any earth-shattering way. He

still went to the Ninja Academy every day, still crushed every class with an overwhelming advantage, and still delighted in collecting Emotion Points from his classmates.

But some things had indeed changed.

His bond with Kushina had clearly grown stronger. Their friendship, built on sensing that they were "the same kind," had become more solid with Mito's approval and even her subtle encouragement. They trained together, bickered together, and sometimes had the gentle Namikaze Minato join them. The three of them had gradually become a noticeable group around campus.

Uchiha Ling could tell that, beyond the familiarity of friendship, there seemed to be something else in the way Kushina looked at him—a hazy, indistinct feeling.

That made the Emotion Points he collected from her, such as [Joy] and [Shyness], come in more frequently.

However, beneath Konoha's tranquility, undercurrents never stopped churning. The clouds of the Third Shinobi World War had yet to gather completely, but friction and small-scale conflicts between countries had already become commonplace.

The struggle for resources, the settling of old scores, and coveting control over any future war drove every faction to resort to any means necessary.

Uchiha Ling knew just how fragile this period of "peace" was.

He also knew that, according to certain established "plotlines," schemes targeting important figures in Konoha never stopped. Especially those aimed at... the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Mito Uzumaki was advanced in years, and the Nine-Tails inside her needed a new vessel.

As the last surviving member of the Uzumaki Clan, Kushina had immense vitality and the best compatibility with the Nine-Tails Chakra. She was practically the only choice.

Her importance to Konoha lay in her role as a strategic weapon of the future. To enemy nations, she was a target they dreamed of destroying or capturing.

So Uchiha Ling always kept part of his attention on Kushina's movements, the security around the village's perimeter, and any abnormalities that might arise.

The Emotion System's range of perception was limited, but it could provide extraordinary warning of intense malice and killing intent.

That day, night seemed to fall earlier than usual. There was no moon in the sky, and thick clouds obscured the stars, plunging all of Konoha into a somber darkness. An inexplicable unease lingered in Uchiha Ling's heart.

He barely had time to think. His body reacted before his mind did. He dug his toes into the ground and shot out of the courtyard like an arrow loosed from a bow, racing toward the direction in which that fearful emotion had vanished. He didn't go through the gate. Instead, he vaulted over the wall of the Uchiha Clan's district and raced along rooftops and through the shadows.

"System, lock onto the strongest source of fear and keep marking it!" he urgently commanded in his mind.

[Command received. Emotion source: Uzumaki Kushina (extreme fear). Continuous tracking in progress... Target moving extremely fast, heading due west, about to leave the maximum perception range.] The system's cold voice promptly replied.

Leave the range? No way!

Uchiha Ling poured Chakra into his legs at full force, accelerating once more. The night wind whipped across his cheeks, leaving a chilling sensation. His mind raced.

Who were the enemy? Kumogakure? Iwagakure? How had they bypassed Konoha's barrier and patrols to find and kidnap Kushina with such precision? Did they have an inside accomplice? Or had they used some special secret technique?

There was no time to think about that now! The top priority was to catch up and save Kushina!

Without hesitation, he rushed out through Konoha's walls. The two Chunin guarding the gate only felt a gust of wind sweep past. They didn't even see who it was.

One of them was just about to call out when the other stopped him and shook his head, pointing to the ground—there lay a kunai sheath clasp bearing the clear design of the Uchiha Clan Crest. Members of the Uchiha Clan sometimes left this kind of marker when they had to rush out on a mission.

"Someone from the Uchiha Clan? In such a hurry?" one of the gate guards muttered, but he chose to let him pass and report it immediately rather than stop him.

Once outside the village, Uchiha Ling moved even faster. His Sharingan gave him excellent vision in the darkness. He could clearly see the hurried footprints on the ground and the branches that had occasionally been snapped off. The Emotion System's guidance had started to grow faint, but combined with these traces, it was enough to keep him on their trail.

After chasing for more than ten minutes, he had reached the dense forest along the Land of Fire's border. At last, hurried footsteps and muffled panting came from the darkness ahead.

"Move! Konoha's pursuers could be here any moment!" a hoarse voice growled. "That brat struggled too much, and her Chakra's strange. She nearly broke free!" another voice complained. "Shut up! Keep an eye on her! She's valuable 'cargo'!"

Uchiha Ling's gaze sharpened, and he crept closer like a leopard. Through a gap in the trees, his Sharingan made out the scene ahead:

Three shinobi in dark, tight-fitting clothes and Kumogakure Forehead Protectors were fleeing at full speed with a red-haired girl in their grasp. One of them carried Kushina, who seemed to be bound by some temporary technique and was struggling nonstop. The other two guarded their front and rear.

So it was Kumogakure! Their target was Kushina!

A surge of killing intent flooded Uchiha Ling's heart. But he forced himself to stay calm. There were three of them, and from their Chakra and speed, they were at least Special Jōnin level. The one carrying Kushina was especially formidable, with the darkest and strongest presence. A head-on fight was no good.

He had to outwit them, strike in one decisive blow, and save Kushina first!

Uchiha Ling quickly formed Hand Seals, and his figure split in two amid a faint puff of smoke.

One Shadow Clone continued straight after them, making enough noise to draw the enemy's attention. Meanwhile, the real one used the thick canopy to circle around to their forward flank like a phantom.

"There's movement behind us!" the Kumogakure shinobi guarding the rear immediately turned around, alert.

"Pursuers! Just one? He's fast!" another exclaimed.

"Take him out! Don't let him buy time!" the leader ordered, though he didn't slow down at all.

The two Kumogakure shinobi immediately stopped and turned to face Uchiha Ling as he charged toward them—the Shadow Clone. And in the instant their attention was drawn—

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

The enormous fireball didn't come from the Shadow Clone behind them. It burst out of the trees ahead and to the side, carrying a wave of searing heat as it shot straight at the Kumogakure leader carrying Kushina!

The angle of attack was extremely tricky, and it neatly avoided Kushina.

"What?!" The leader clearly hadn't expected an attack from that direction. In his haste, he could only shove Kushina to the side and leap backward to dodge.

Boom! The fireball slammed into the ground, erupting in flames and smoke that instantly lit up the pitch-black forest.

Now!

Uchiha Ling's real body shot out of the treetops like lightning, lunging straight for Kushina, who had been thrown to the ground!

"Brat! You're asking for death!" The Kumogakure leader came to his senses and roared. He drew the short blade on his back and slashed at Uchiha Ling's back, wrapped in lightning! He was incredibly fast!

"Ling! Look out!" Kushina saw Uchiha Ling rushing toward her, and joy first burst into her eyes. Then she noticed the attack behind him and let out a terrified scream.

At the critical moment, Uchiha Ling didn't even turn around. The single tomoe in his Sharingan spun wildly. Relying on his extraordinary dynamic vision and ability to predict, he twisted aside at an impossible angle. The lightning-wreathed short blade skimmed past his ribs, its gust of wind tearing his clothes!

At the same time, the kunai in his hand precisely cut through the Chakra ropes binding Kushina!

"Go!" he barked, shoving Kushina toward relative safety.

But the instant he pushed her away, the Kumogakure leader's second strike arrived! This time it was a direct punch imbued with powerful Lightning Release Chakra, moving at incredible speed!

He couldn't dodge!

Uchiha Ling's pupils contracted. His Sharingan caught the attack's trajectory, but his body reacted half a beat too slowly! The absolute gap in strength became painfully clear!

"Thud!"

The heavy Lightning Fist smashed into his chest!

"Gah—!" Uchiha Ling spat out a mouthful of blood. His body flew backward like a broken kite and slammed hard into a tree before falling to the ground. Agony tore through his chest. He had probably broken several ribs, and the invading Lightning Release Chakra left his entire body numb.

"Ling!" Kushina screamed in anguish and tried to rush over, but the other two Kumogakure shinobi had already dealt with the Shadow Clone and hurried back to stop her.

"Hmph! A brat from the Uchiha with a Sharingan? What a nuisance! But this is where it ends!" The Kumogakure leader shook his fist and gave a cruel smile as he walked toward Uchiha Ling, who was struggling to get up. "First, I'll gouge out those annoying eyes of yours!"

Pain, numbness, and the threat of death swept over him like a cold tide. Uchiha Ling's consciousness was growing hazy. Was he going to die here? He'd crossed into this world with a system and grand ambitions, only to die so miserably at the hands of some nameless extra?

No! Never!

He jerked his head up, a savage grin stretching across his bloodied lips. The single tomoe in his black eyes spun wildly, faster than ever before!

The overwhelming emotional surge came from rage at his own weakness! Hatred for the enemy's brutality! And... an intense desire, unlike anything he had ever felt, to protect Kushina at any cost when he saw her crying!

Protect her! He had to protect her! He absolutely couldn't let them take her! He absolutely couldn't die here!

A powerful torrent of emotion, so intense it seemed ready to tear his soul apart, shattered some kind of limit!

[Strong emotional surge detected in host: extreme anger! Extreme desire to protect! Extreme killing intent!]

[Sharingan evolution conditions met...]

[Spiritual energy rising rapidly...]

[Sharingan evolving...]

Buzz—

It was as if a string in his mind had suddenly snapped, or some kind of shackle had been completely shattered!

A searing pain flared in his eyes, far worse than when he had first awakened them, but it also brought an overwhelming sense of power! The world in his vision grew clearer. The enemy's movements seemed to slow, and the flow of Chakra became more apparent than ever before!

Every detail was clear: the Kumogakure leader's approaching steps, the hand he raised to gouge out Uchiha Ling's eyes. It was as if everything had slowed several times over!

The single tomoe in Uchiha Ling's eyes suddenly split and spun, transforming into two black tomoe! The Two-Tomoe Sharingan!

"What?! It evolved in the middle of a fight?!" The Kumogakure leader was shocked, and his movements faltered.

That brief hesitation was all he needed!

"Die!" Uchiha Ling growled like a beast. His numb body seemed to be forced into motion by the power newly surging through him. He didn't even form Hand Seals. Instead, relying on his Sharingan's instinctive ability to copy his opponent's movements and the Chakra bursting from within him, he instinctively imitated the technique his opponent had just used!

"Lightning Style: Lightning Fist!"

Lightning crackled across his fist—far weaker than his opponent's, but more concentrated and more violent! This wasn't a simple imitation. The Sharingan had refined it, combining it with the properties of his own Chakra to create a new attack! He slammed it into the Kumogakure leader at point-blank range!

"Impossible!" The Kumogakure leader hadn't expected his opponent not only to evolve his eyes but also to copy and counter his ninjutsu in an instant! In his haste, he could only raise an arm to block.

Crack!

Lightning flashed! The sharp sound of breaking bone rang out!

"Argh!" The Kumogakure leader screamed as the punch, filled with rage and the power of evolution, staggered him backward. His entire arm bent at an unnatural angle, and shock and pain filled his face.

Seeing this, the other two Kumogakure shinobi stopped holding Kushina back and immediately rushed to support their leader.

"Kill him! Kill him now!" the leader shrieked hysterically, clutching his broken arm.

The Two-Tomoe Sharingan turned slowly. Uchiha Ling wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gradually straightened up. His chest still throbbed with pain, but a more scorching force suppressed it. His gaze was as cold as ice that had endured for ten thousand years, and the two tomoe turning in his eyes gave off a sinister, heart-chilling gleam.

His evolved Sharingan not only gave him stronger perception and copying abilities; it also filled him with a bone-chilling killing intent and battle instincts.

He saw the paths of the two Kumogakure shinobi charging at him, and the Hand Seals they formed.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" "Lightning Style: Earth Flow!"

Several small fireballs and a bolt of lightning racing along the ground attacked at once, blocking every angle of escape.

Before, he might have had no choice but to take the hit or dodge clumsily. But now...

Uchiha Ling's hands flew through the Hand Seals, more than twice as fast as before!

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"

A spinning wall of water appeared out of nowhere, precisely blocking the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. Water and fire collided, producing a large amount of steam that instantly obscured their vision.

At almost the same moment he used the Water Formation Wall, his Sharingan had already predicted the path of Earth Flow. He jumped slightly ahead of time, then exhaled again: "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

It wasn't a high-level ninjutsu, but it was perfect for the situation! A gust of wind swept up dirt and fallen leaves from the ground. It not only deflected the lightning bolt of Earth Flow slightly but also blew the thick steam toward the two Kumogakure shinobi!

"Cough, cough! I can't see!" "Watch out!"

Steam swirled around them, blocking their vision. For Uchiha Ling, with his Sharingan, it made little difference!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several kunai bearing Explosive Tags flew precisely through the steam toward the positions where the two Kumogakure shinobi were likely to be.

"Explode!"

Rumble—

A series of violent explosions rang out, followed by two screams.

The shockwaves from the blasts scattered the steam. One of the two Kumogakure shinobi had lost a leg and lay on the ground wailing. The other had been struck in the shoulder by a kunai and was in a sorry state.

In just one exchange, two Kumogakure shinobi at Special Jōnin level had been seriously injured!

That was the power of the Two-Tomoe Sharingan! Perception, copying, prediction, and tactical combinations... his strength had undergone a qualitative leap!

The remaining Kumogakure leader was terrified. Clutching his broken arm, he stared at the boy emerging from the steam and smoke, his eyes glowing an ominous red. It was as if he were looking at a monster.

"M-monster! Uchiha monster!" His voice trembled, and all his earlier arrogance was gone.

Uchiha Ling ignored him. His gaze first fell on Kushina, frozen in terror in the distance. Only after confirming she was safe did he turn his cold stare back on the last enemy.

He had to eradicate the root.

He walked toward the Kumogakure leader one step at a time. Each step seemed to land on the man's heart.

"D-don't come any closer! I can tell you who our—" The Kumogakure leader tried to beg for mercy.

But Uchiha Ling gave him no chance. His body became a blur again, and the kunai in his hand traced a cold arc.

His Sharingan perfectly caught the slight stiffness in his opponent's body, brought on by fear.

Splurt—

The kunai precisely opened the man's throat.

The Kumogakure leader's eyes widened. Clutching his bleeding neck, he slowly fell, unable to believe what had happened.

Uchiha Ling didn't even look at his corpse. He turned toward the other two badly wounded Kumogakure shinobi and delivered the final blow without mercy as they stared at him in despair.

The forest fell silent once more, leaving only the crackle of burning flames and the thick smell of blood.

The battle had ended quickly. From evolution to counterattack, it had taken no more than a minute or two. Uchiha Ling stood among the three corpses, breathing shallowly. The pain in his chest surged again, making him cough several times before he spat out another mouthful of congealed blood.

The Two-Tomoe Sharingan slowly faded, leaving his eyes their ordinary black. A powerful sense of weakness and soreness in his eyes followed. But he forced himself to remain standing and not collapse.

"Ling... Ling!" Only then did Kushina seem to wake from her nightmare. She ran over in tears and threw her arms around him, her small body trembling violently with fear and lingering shock. "Are you all right? You're bleeding so much... I'm sorry. This is all because of me..."

Her warm tears soaked Uchiha Ling's shoulder. He stiffened for a moment, then slowly raised a hand and awkwardly patted her back.

"It's all right now." His voice was hoarse from his injuries, but it carried a reassuring strength. "I told you I'd protect what matters to me. As long as you're safe, that's enough."

This time, what he collected wasn't a handful of scattered Emotion Points. It was the purest, most overwhelming [Gratitude], [Dependence], and [Relief at Having Survived] from the girl in his arms, along with some other deeply ingrained emotion. It was so powerful that it temporarily drowned out the system's notifications.

The rush of something cutting through the air came from far away. Konoha's pursuers had finally arrived. At their head was Namikaze Minato, his face tense with worry, along with several Anbu Ninja.

When they saw the carnage—a trio of Kumogakure shinobi lying dead, Uchiha Ling injured and coughing blood yet still standing upright, and Kushina clinging to him as she wept—they were all stunned.

Minato hurried forward, his eyes sweeping over the scene, filled with disbelief and concern. "Ling! Kushina! You..."

"The Kumogakure kidnapping squad has been dealt with," Uchiha Ling said calmly, as if he'd merely done something insignificant. "Kushina was frightened, but she wasn't hurt."

An Anbu Ninja examined the bodies, especially the leader's wounds, and drew a sharp breath. "One blow killed him... and there are traces of Lightning Release, Fire Release, Wind Release, and Water Release... Did you do all this by yourself?"

Uchiha Ling didn't answer. He only nodded. A wave of exhaustion hit, and his body swayed.

Minato immediately stepped forward to support him. He looked at his friend's pale face and bloodstained clothes, then at Kushina, who clung to Ling and refused to let go. His blue eyes held complicated emotions, which finally settled into deep respect and a hint of barely perceptible gloom.

"Medical Corps! Quickly!" Minato shouted.

Before losing consciousness, Uchiha Ling's last sight was Kushina's tear-reddened green eyes, full of worry and some new resolve, along with Minato's complicated yet sincere gaze.

A rescue under the moon, a bloody battle against powerful enemies, evolution in the face of certain death... After tonight, Uchiha Ling's name would no longer belong only to a "genius student." He had officially entered the cruel world of shinobi and announced his rise with a bloodstained Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

And the bond between him and Uzumaki Kushina had grown incomparably deep and complicated through this brush with death.